Thursday, April 26, 2007

David Halberstam

I guess that speaking no ill of dead thing is out of fashion.

David Halberstam (1934-2007)

Portrait of the prize-winning reporter as an engorged ego.

Shafer thinks that Halberstam's enduring work is his journalism from Vietnam.

I'm not sure those stand up all that well. I posted on him and his compatriots in January. (Here and here and here)

OTOH, i really liked his books. He was a diligent reporter and he collected hundreds of great stories. When he drew a portrait it was painstakingly crafted with a host of little details and a dozen little vignettes. His big serious books were filled with these portraits. Agree or disagree with his conclusions, i found the books to be a joy to read.

I recently finished The Education of a Coach and can recommend it highly. I learned alot about the current NFL and even came to admire the Patriots's coach after reading it.

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